Branch trimming tool



same manner.

United States. Patent "ice Painted fjiiffi 1 a 2 3 101 539 curnferenceof the branch due to the branch engaging th BRANCH I mG T091, Sll'ltlOlJS edge of the blade during the cutting stroke of the slasher.

le i MOT y P Waltegs 85 Front st Quebec Canada The ends of the pro ecting edges which menge with the Filed Nov. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 72,505

2 Cfl i (CL 30 155) 5 tang of the blade are also sharpened with a convex edge and the end of the blade opposite to the tang may be, My invention relates to slashers adapted to be used serrated to form a marking device. I on standing timber or on ifelled timber to strip or cut When slashing smaller branches from standing timber the smaller branches on the trunk of a tree. the slashing stroke isnat'urally overhand and downward,

I am aware that slashers in the form usually known so that the sinuous cutting edge of the blade engages the as hedge knives have been used heretofore, but these branches with which it comes in contact, and thus the consist of a straight bladed knife with a handle attached circular incisions are made as the sinuous cutting edge to one end but such a slasher is totally unsuited for of the blade is in contact with and travelling over the the work which my slasher is primarily designedto perouter periphery of the branches with which the blade is form. in contact.

With these straight bladed Slashers the cutting'edge A Woodsman of average height can trim or slash ,the penetrates the branch, and the cutting or penetration lower branches of standing timber to a height of about of the blade into the branch is resisted increasingly from nine feet from the ground. It will therefore, be underthe periphery to the centre of the branch, so that most stood that the centre of balance and of the impact of the of the energy of the person using such slashers is not blade with the branches should be located well within the efficiently used andis in part nullified or partially ex central portion of the blade of the slasher. pended before the centre of a branch is reached in the The blade of my slashing tool is rigid throughout its cutting stroke, so resulting in several successive strokes length, and is of a thickness and size to maintain such having to be made to sever the branch from the trunk rigidity when in use, or in other words the-blade is not of the tree. r flexible and will not yield or be deflected by a branch Moreover these old straight bladed slashers are not during a cutting stroke of the slasher, so that the'efficiency elfective when stripping the lower end of standing timber of my slashing device is very high, and it is of a weight as the direction of the blow must be imparted a right which is easily wielded by an operator. angles across the branch to be cut, and this type of use So that the nature of my invention will be clearly of the slasher is extremely tiring to the user of the imunderstood, 1 have illustrated an embodiment of the plement. same which I shall describe in detail, but it will be un- I have come to the conclusion that the most effective derstood that I provide a plurality of cutting projections manner in which a branchmay be cut from standing or on the longitudinal edges of the knife, and although I felled timber is to make a circular or arcuate incision in have found that three projections on each cutting edge the bark around the greater part of the branch thereby give excellent results, nevertheless I may use four or severing the heavier tough fibres of the branch which are more projections if I find it is desirable so to do.

4 located adjacent to the bark. Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings,

Occasionally it may be necessary to give a second in which: stroke of the slasher to completely sever the branch, and FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of my improved slasher this blow is imparted on the return stroke of the slasher. 40 showing the sinuous cutting edges, and the tang inserted In the use of a slasher the blade is swungbackwards in and secured to the handle of the slasher; and forwards in a more or less pendulum-like manner, FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the cutting blade taken and this is the most effective way of Wielding a slasher on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; without unduly tiring the person who is using the slasher. FIGURE 3 is a view of my slasher-similar to FIGURE To fabricate the slasher to accomplish an effective 1, having the end remote drom the handle formed with cutting or stripping of branchesfrom a tree trunk I have a saw tooth edge for marking lengths for cuttin found that the blade should be constructed with a central FiGURE 4 i a view of the slasher similar to FIGURE zone of comparative thickness, and possibly two feet 1, showing a further modification, and in length from which the tang of the blade extends in FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the cutting blade longitudinal alignment so permitting the tang to be riveted similar'to FIGURE 2 showing a modification. or otherwise secured to a handle. Like characters of-reference refer to like parts in the Further the central portion of the blade is formed several figures of the drawings.

with projecting edges of comparative width in the range Referring to the drawings, A represents my improved f six to eight inches, and these projecting edges and the slashing device comprising a blade B formed with a flat central portion 0d the blade are integral and lie in the integral tang C which extends into and is secured to a handle D by any suitable means. If desired the handle The balance of the slasher should be located within may b formed integrally with the blade B,

the central portion of the blade SO permitting the blade 130 The blade B is preferably drop forged, and formed be swun g with ase by a l m r n When g g d in of high quality steel, or any other similar high quality slashing small ran s f t v material as desired, or may be pressed or shaped from a The Projecting edges of the blade are fofmfid With relarectangular plate of such material, and the two longitutively large semi-circular or semi-elliptical or arcuate pro- 1 idinal marginal portions of the plate are formed with a lemons With convex edges which merge form the plurality of equidistantly spaced arcuate projections 10, 'g g 180 i cutting edges are Strong and (1111- the conformation of the said projections being formed able. These circular edges must not be concave or holb th convepgence f t o overlapping circles, thus iormloW grounding V-shaped spaces between the projections as shown These semi-circular projections are spaced apart so that at igwith th apex f a h v being slightly nd d, there is a recess between each pair of adjacent projections d i hi h sh angle f h V may vary f m aPPrOXiof approximately 60. mateiy 50 to 7 0 degrees depending on the type of work It will beseen that the cutting edges on each side of .for which the tool is designed, and the size of the blade,

the blades are sinuous, and as they pass over and conwhether for light or heavy work.

tact the branches, a circular incision is made in the cir- :From one end of the blade B a flat tang C extends, and

this tang lies in the plane of the blade B and is termed integral therewith. The lateral edges 12 of the tang adjacent the blade -B flare outwardly and menge into the peripheral wall of the adjacent arcuate projection 16*, and these flared edges, arid the marginal portions of the arcuate projections lit are ground to form a continuous cutting edge a.

It should be noted that the front and back walls of these marginal portions of the projections 10 are shown slightly convex in cross section, so that a verystrong and durable cutting edge is .formed on the projections, though I may form the cutting edge on one side only of the blade if desired. I

In the modification shown in FIGURE 3, the end of the blade B remote from the tang C is slightly arcuate, as shown at 13, and formed with a plurality of serrations 14 which may be used as a marking device.

In FIGURE 4, a lighter type of slasher is shown having two arcuate projections 10 with V-shaped spaces 11'.

In the modification shown in FIGURE 5, the centre part of the blade is thickened, as shown at 15, and tapers towards the outer edge in a similar conformation to that of a broad axe.

Without further detailed description it will be seen that I have provided a slashing tool which is of simple construction, and efiicient in use, is economical to manufacture, and is rugged and designed to withstand rough usage.

Other changes and modifications in the form and form a tang extending in alinement with the longitudinal axis of the blade, the opposed longitudinal edges of said blade being disposed in parallel relation and formed with a series of relatively long arcuate projections in the same plane as the blade, the adjoining ends of said projections being joined together at an angle of approximately to form a continuous undulating edge which is tapered transversely to form a cutting edge.

2. A branch trimming tool as described in claim ,1 wherein the end of said blade opposite to that of said tang has a curved cutting edge contiguous with the cutting edges along the longitudinal edges of said blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,484,755 Black Feb. 26, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS 612,111 Canada Jan. 10, 1961 

1. A BRANCH TRIMMING TOOL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED RIGID FLAT METAL BLADE OF REDUCED WIDTH AT ONE END TO FORM A TANG EXTENDING IN ALINEMENT WITH THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE BLADE, THE OPPOSED LONGITUDINAL EDGES OF SAID BLADE BEING DISPOSED IN PARALLEL RELATION AND FORMED WITH A SERIES OF RELATIVELY LONG ARCUATE PROJECTIONS IN THE SAME PLANE AS THE BLADE, THE ADJOINING ENDS OF SAID PROJECTIONS BEING JOINED TOGETHER AT AN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 60* TO FORM A CONTINUOUS UNDULATING EDGE WHICH IS TAPERED TRANSVERSELY TO FORM A CUTTING EDGE. 